This invention relates to an adjustable steering wheel and control lever console of a vehicle which is adjustable fore and aft angular orientation. In the operation of agricultural, construction and industrial machinery, such as, for example, motor grader vehicles, it is advantageous to provide adjustable positioning of the steering wheel and vehicle control levers relative to the operator for convenient access and manipulation. This is particularly true where the operator at times is not only sitting in one of several adjusted positions, but quite often is standing during operation of the vehicle.
Several techniques have been employed in the past to accomplish, for example, adjustability of the steering wheel alone relative to the operator. Such limited adjustment of the steering wheel, nevertheless, does not adequately provide for the needs of the operator during actual operating condition of road graders and the like. One attempt to overcome the lack of convenient adjustability of the vehicle control console is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,896 to Koch. Therein, an adjustable steering wheel and control lever console which is movable fore and aft of the operator is disclosed; however, the release means permitting the operator to release the console from a locked position for movement to a selected adjustable position involves a mechanism above the steering wheel and the console which obstructs visibility of the operator. Furthermore, arrangements such as that of Koch permits a looseness in the locking mechanism which is undesirable. Additionally, a means for anchoring the locking system is required separate from the console.
Those concerned with these and other problems recognize the need for an improved locking mechanism for a steering unit and control lever console which is movable fore and aft of the operator about a pivot axis to a desired locked position.